You’re eating the same foods you’ve always eaten. Your exercise routine hasn’t changed. Yet somehow, your body has decided to redistribute itself in ways you never agreed to. The waist you once had seems to have disappeared. Clothes that fit perfectly six months ago now pull in strange places. And no matter what you do, your midsection seems determined to expand.
If this sounds familiar, you’re experiencing one of menopause’s most frustrating—and least discussed—realities. The body shape changes that accompany this transition aren’t imaginary, aren’t simply about willpower, and aren’t something you’re doing wrong. They’re the result of profound hormonal shifts that affect how and where your body stores fat.
